1. Technical Field
Principally, the present invention relates to the preparation of metallic plumbing fixtures, namely a pipe and pipe fitting, (herein referred to as "fitting") for solder jointing, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for quickly and efficiently polishing the telescoping surfaces of a pipe and fitting preparatory to their being united in a solder joint.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most residential and commercial plumbing installations consist of copper or copper alloy tubings and fittings soldered together, as do many heating systems. Preparatory to soldering, all oxide, grease, dirt and other debris on the inside and outside mating surfaces of a pipe and fitting must be removed and the mating surfaces must be smoothed in order to facilitate complete solder flow about the union, to thereby reduce the possibility of subsequent leaks.
Present techinques for preparing the telescoping surfaces of a pipe and fitting for soldering require an inordinate amount of time and effort to carry out. Specifically, two polishing methods now dominate the art. The first method is simply to use emery paper and/or a stiff steel brush to manually polish the outside and inside mating surfaces of a pipe and fitting, respectively. In addition to the obvious time consuming nature of this approach, the small size, and sometimes the shape, of the pipe or fitting to be polished often results in an unsatisfactory cleaning of the appropriate mating surfaces.
The second commonly used approach essentially comprises an electrical version of the manual cleaning method. Namely, a belt sander is used to polish the outside surface of the pipe and a series of oscillating steel brushes are employed to polish the inside surface of the fitting. Although clearly an improvement over the conventional manual polishing method, this approach still requires a great deal of time and individual attention to detail to carry out for a single pipe and fitting combination to be united.
Significant to proper electrical installation, is the related action of cleaning oxides from an electrical bus bar prior to installation. Most residential and commercial electrical entrances today utilize at least one electrical bus bar, e.g., as a central ground and/or neutral connection, which must be cleaned of all oxides and debris. This is to ensure proper electrical connection of wires to the bar. An electrical bus bar, which typically ranges from 1 foot to 4 feet in length, is also normally cleaned via one of the two above described labor intensive techniques.
Thus, a new method and apparatus for polishing a metallic pipe and fitting preparatory to their being united in a solder joint, and for preparing a bus bar to facilitate good electrical connection thereto, in a more efficient and economical manner than heretofore known techniques are clearly desirable.